Soak in the Sun, Sand, and Surf at Makadi Bay’s SUNRISE Tucana Resort

As we all quite reluctantly slip – or faceplant – back into the harsh and metropolitan post-Eid traffic-work-traffic-repeat reality, our weary and already burnt-out minds can’t help but drift off to a soft, sandy and sunny coastal destination that can heal our beach-bound souls. And perhaps even our eternally vampire-esque (despite countless hours spent in the scorching sun) complexions.

In the interest of adding fuel to the flip-flops-and-floaties fire, we won’t strive to cure your work-impeding ailment. Instead, we’re embarking on a quest to feed your fulsome fantasy by providing a very specific and very seductive coastal haven for you to muse about – SUNRISE Tucana Resort.

Right in the heart of the travel hotspot – and instagram favourite – Makadi Bay, a regional diving and snorkelling epicentre on the vibrant Red Sea, the five-star SUNRISE Tucana Resort, one of the top luxury resorts in the city catering to honeymooners and families alike, offers 240 lavish rooms and suites for fun-and-sun lovers to choose from – including ones with private jacuzzis and pools, as well as their piece de resistance, ‘The Royal Villa’, which is where silver-screen couple, Ahmed and Laila, took up lodgings in ‘Kamel El Adad’.

A measly 40 minute drive from the city centre and around 30 minutes from the airport, the resort draws inspiration from its breathtaking coastal surroundings, which seep into its spa-like boho-chic aesthetic. Arched doorways, macrame wall decor, bamboo details and ratan light fixtures render the space a flawless extension of the serene landscape right outside the resort’s wood-and-concrete doors.

A gastronomical hub, SUNRISE Tucana Resort features a premium all-inclusive concept, ensuring that food and beverages are available around the clock (thank God), free (non-)alcoholic beverages are served throughout the resort and the minibar is filled daily with snackable treats.

The food options themselves will have you salivating from your bed/desk/car, as they include various diverse options, such as the international Lucina, the Italian Gaia, the Greek Yades and the seafood-serving Felucca. As for the bars and lounges, you’ll find eight of them scattered throughout the vast resort, with some rooftop bars even boasting 360° panoramic views of the azure water and the ‘Posh Lounge’, which is only available for a select number of suite bookers, offering beach-front exclusivity.

If your focus is less on non-fit food and more on fully-fit fun, you can practise your serve (both physical and sartorial) on any of the resort’s three tennis courts, perfect your swing on their mini-golf course or play mermaid for the day and go on an international diving excursion that’s good for the soul and social media. Or, for those who have recently survived a toxic situationship, you can take your pick between hanging up your ex’s picture on a dartboard or an archery target and let your Kill Bill daydreams run wild. And, you can do all of this while your little ones peacefully doze off in the expansive family suite or – if they’re as adventurous as their parents – while they partake in any of the resort’s kid-friendly activities.

So, with all this (and much more) in mind, we think it’s not even remotely too soon to book yet another lengthy spring vacation. Your boss will understand, surely. And if he/she doesn’t, you can always polish up your résumé while you sip on a mojito and look out at the endless stretch of blue.